Despite concerns, Ocean View playground to get artificial turf fields

The Minnie and Lovie Ward Playfields in the city’s Ocean View neighborhood is on track for a much-needed upgrade, despite concerns about long-term health risks of the artificial turf that will be installed there.

The Planning Commission Thursday unanimously rejected an effort to force a full environmental review of the project, arguing that a host of studies have found no evidence of health problems with the grasslike synthetic turf, which is composed largely of rubber recovered from recycled tires.

Kelly Watts, who for years has fought city efforts to add more artificial turf fields to city playgrounds, argued that particulates from the rubberized field could end up causing cancer, both for the kids playing there and neighbors of the park.

But Dan Mauer of the Recreation and Parks Department argued that studies done over the years, both in California and elsewhere, have found no particular problems with artificial turf and that the surface planned for what was previously known as Ocean View Park meets all state environmental requirements.

The city has a dog in this fight, however. Since 2006, San Francisco has been working with the non-profit City Fields Foundation to provide more playing fields in city parks. This has been done mostly by replacing beaten up, gopher hole-riddled grass fields with the all-weather turf that’s cheaper to maintain and can take much harder use. The work at the Ward playfields, which will also add lights to the field, is the last of nine projects sponsored by City Fields.

“The challenge with new technology is that we don’t know to a degree of scientific certainty what the ultimate effect will be,” said Commissioner Gwyneth Borden. “But we have to make decisions based on what the accepted science is today.”